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Why Saudi Arabia’s Gigacities Are Sparking Soaring Timber Demand

Building with engineered wood is a vital part of the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed Bin Salmon Vision 2030 Plan.


Thu 10 Oct 24

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Saudi Arabia is poised to become one of the world’s largest consumers of timber, fuelled by several ‘mega’ and ‘giga’ projects, including the NEOM, the Red Sea Project, Trojena and Qiddiya – which could see the market for timber-based products reach more than US $4.1 billion by 2029.

Earlier this year, Wood Central revealed that the Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates are pushing to switch from concrete-and-steel-based construction to timber. While the number of timber buildings in the ground is small, imports of plywood and other timber products have tripled to Dubai and Riyadh in the last 12 months alone.

Under the China's Belt and Road project, more than 30% of the global supply chain of forest products will be directly impacted by Chinese industry - in the planting, production, manufacturing and distribution of products worldwide. (Photo Credit: Brookings Institute)
Under China’s Belt and Road initaitve, more than 30% of the global supply chain of forest products will be directly impacted by Chinese industry – in the planting, production, manufacturing and distribution of products worldwide. Earlier this year, Saudia Arabia replaced the United Kingdom as China’s largest export market for plywood. (Photo Credit: Brookings Institute)

The rush has led hungry exporters, builders, and developers to take notice. Last month, exhibitors from 30 countries, including China—looking to dominate regional timber trade through the Belt and Road initiative—Canada, Egypt, Italy, Turkey, Belgium, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Japan, the UAE, the UK, the USA, and Vietnam, took part in the Saudi Wood Expo—the first to be held in the Kingdom.

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Mega projects are significantly increasing the demand for high-quality timber, as well as wood products. (Photo Credit: SPA)

“Saudi Wood Expo is a pivotal event for the woodworking industry, attracting local and international companies to build partnerships,” said Muhammed Kazi, one of the organisers. “The expo not only showcased cutting-edge products but facilitated collaborations that drive industry growth when demand for doors, windows, furniture manufacturing and interior design is at an all-time high.”

It comes as Saudi Arabia has emerged as the Middle East’s fastest-growing market for mass timber, with the Kingdom now competing with the UAE to become the region’s “green power.” In February, Wood Central covered a report published by Dr Danish Ahmed, calling for the Kingdom to use mass timber construction systems, specifically cross-laminated timbers, to bring the LINE to fruition:

The scale of Saudi Arabia's new NEOM gigacity is enormous in scale. Once constructed, NEOM will connect more than 26,000 km² of land mass to the Red Sea, an area larger than Israel and Kuwait, eventually accommodating 25% of Saudi Arabia’s total population. (Photo Credit: Peter Hermes Furian / Alamy Stock Photo)
The scale of Saudi Arabia’s new NEOM gigacity is enormous in scale. Once constructed, NEOM will connect more than 26,000 km² of land mass to the Red Sea, an area larger than Israel and Kuwait, eventually accommodating 25% of Saudi Arabia’s total population. The project is driving a massive uptake in timber used in the Kingdom. (Photo Credit: Peter Hermes Furian / Alamy Stock Photo)

Dr Ahmed, who belongs to the Department of Civil Engineering at the Prince Mohammed Bin Fahd University in Saudi Arabia, said, “The structural analysis and design results (of the report) indicated that the CLT building was acceptable in terms of lateral deformation or drift under a critical combination of lateral and gravity loads.” Before adding that, CLT was “an excellent alternative material for buildings in LINE that aims to be zero-net carbon’s city.”

  • To learn more about timber projects in Saudi Arabia, click here for Wood Central’s interview with Weathertex, now kitting out 1500 module houses, home to thousands of construction executives, professionals and consultants using Australian weatherboards, wall panels and cladding made from reconstituted hardwoods.

Author

  • Jason Ross

    Jason Ross, publisher, is a 15-year professional in building and construction, connecting with more than 400 specifiers. A Gottstein Fellowship recipient, he is passionate about growing the market for wood-based information. Jason is Wood Central's in-house emcee and is available for corporate host and MC services.

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